


If Only for a Moment

by profoundlyfadedprincess



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/M, Family, Friendship, Gen, Missing Scene, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-12
Updated: 2016-07-12
Packaged: 2018-07-23 15:38:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,561
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7469277
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/profoundlyfadedprincess/pseuds/profoundlyfadedprincess
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Heroes take a moment a few moments to reflect on the curious events that can only happen to them.</p><p>Missing scenes from between Last Rites, Only You and An Untold Story</p>
            </blockquote>





	If Only for a Moment

**Author's Note:**

> There is a lot of missing time across Last Rites, Only You and An Untold Story, a few untold scenes in my opinion.

The grief enveloping the Mills-Charming-Swan family was enough to suffocate the town. Snow had thought she had seen some of the worse days possible in the years following the breaking of the original curse; her hand in murdering Cora, Henry’s kidnap, the reversal of the curse to save them all from Pan, Neal’s death. None were as bad as this day. While they had managed to defeat Hades, leaving him as nothing more than a pile of ashes in Regina’s office, the human cost had been too high. Not only had it been impossible to save Killian from the Underworld, but Robin lay in a coffin and any essence that could move on had been eradicated. According to Regina, he hadn’t just died, Robin Hood had been erased. From her window seat in Granny’s, where she sat opposite a glass of white wine and Merida, she cast a glance to Regina who sat in silence with her sister. A strange sight given Zelena had only recently reconciled with her sister.

Regina had barely moved since arriving. Her glass of whiskey sitting untouched in front of her. Snow had given her condolences, offered her support, but she knew better than to push further. Regina would come to her if she needed to. Their largely reconciled relationship allowed that door to be opened. Besides, she was a vital part of the family now, not just as Henry’s adoptive mother, but as a mentor to Emma as well as a friend. 

At the thought of her grandson, Snow’s gaze travelled to Henry where he sat with his grandfather. Henry had been devastated by the losses endured by the family on this day. It had been Emma, barely able to hold herself together as it was, who had relayed the news him. Henry had grown close to Killian and Robin. Once Emma had told him what had happened, Henry looked around in a dazed loss before hugging his mother tightly, a sob escaping his lips. While he still had his Grandpa, Snow knew Henry would grieve as deeply for the losses as his mother’s would. 

At the thought of Emma, Snow turned around quickly. Somehow the hours had passed far too quickly for their own good; over three hours since she had left her daughter in the cemetery with her own thoughts. There was no message on her phone either. Her grief, naturally, had consumed her from the moment she had returned from the Underworld. However, it wasn’t until after Robin’s death, after when Henry had gone to be with Regina, that a soul rendering cry of pain escaped Emma. Snow and David had done their best to hush their daughter but she was inconsolable in her despair. Emma believed with every ounce of her being she would succeed in saving Killian. They believed it too. 

Half their family, a fantastical mix of heroes and villains, princesses, pirates, witches, and thieves, had been swallowed up in a day. The loss would live with them forever.

‘David,’ Snow whispered, nodding over to her table causing Merida to look over. 

After patting his grandson on the shoulder then walking over, Snow expressed her concerns about Emma in a hushed voice. David nodded, pressing a kiss to Snow’s forehead before slinking out the door to go in search of their daughter. 

\--//--

The streets of Storybrooke were dark; curtains closed and lights turned down low. The world lay heavily on David’s shoulders. The weight of the family loss bearing down on him like a boulder pressing down on his chest. He hasn’t taken a moment to let himself process the losses yet. Not when Emma and Henry need him. If he is honest with himself, David can’t quite believe they’ve managed to lose so much. 

His journey first takes him to the loft that has become the centre of their family gatherings. This place has been Emma’s home longer than it’s been his. Once the news of Robin’s death had filtered through the family, she had come back here rather than being alone in the grand old house she had recently acquired. The lights were off but he checks upstairs where she used to sleep. The bed is untouched. He sighs at the thought of her on her own. 

Without another thought, he turns and heads off in the opposite direction. He hasn’t spent a lot of time in Emma’s house given it had become a symbol of her domain as the Dark One. Of course, he’s since learnt it wasn’t meant to be that way. It was meant to be a family home. David’s heart grew heavy at the thought of what Emma has lost. She had finally found someone to spend her life with. A kindred spirit in the most unlikely of people. 

He takes the steps up to the door two at a time then uses the key she had given her mother in the aftermath of… he can barely think about it. He doesn’t like to admit it, but he has wondered if that had been he, would he had found the strength Emma did? He knew the pain it took to convince a loved one to take your life, but for it to be the other way around, well he didn’t think he was anywhere near as strong as Emma or Snow.

Like the loft, the house is empty and judging by the very thin layer of dust on the table, no one has been here while they were in the Underworld. 

There is only one other place she would be.

\--//--

Warm arms, a heartbeat against her ear, the gentle rocking of the waves, flickering light and severe exhaustion all contribute to Emma falling asleep in the arms of her beloved. Unable to share this momentous turn of events with anyone just yet, Emma and Killian had slipped away to the one place they were sure not to be disturbed. Only she hadn’t planned on sleeping and being missing from the proceedings this long. Besides, the more time that passed, the harder it became to keep a hold on the words she would use to tell them all that Killian had been granted his second chance of life. 

Particularly, when viewed from one angle, it seemed like a cruel exchange of life. 

Relaying the story of Robin’s death to Killian had been hard. The two men, a former pirate, and the former thief had become fast friends in the time they had known each other. He had immediately asked after Regina. Emma didn’t know. She didn’t know. Guilt manifested in her gut. Yet pulling herself away from this cocoon is nigh impossible. Going back to Granny’s would break the spell.

Footsteps on the deck, however, alert the couple. They break apart as David’s familiar voice calls out her name. She isn’t ready to tell him. She and Killian agreed before being lulled into sleep that Regina would be told first.

‘I’ll go and speak to him,’ Emma whispers, her hand on Killian’s chest. 

‘Aye, love,’ he replied with a nod.

Their lips meet in a soft kiss. Each kiss soothing one crack after another in her heart. 

She reaches the deck just as David pushes the hatch to the captain’s quarters open. His concerned face softens to relief as she climbs out. She manages a smile for her father as he steps back to let her out. His eyes linger on her face, trying to tease out the emotions she’s feeling. 

‘We were worried about you,’ he states.

A cool breeze wraps around Emma’s body reminding her of just how late an hour it is. She sighs and looks away to where the moon reflects in the still waters of the harbour. She should be able to tell her father this. She’s always been close to him even when she was having a hard time accepting the truth. Not to mention David and Killian are friends in their own right. She should be able to tell him. 

‘I fell asleep,’ she replied, grateful her father doesn’t quite have her knack for picking up lies.

Besides, she was asleep. 

He nods in understanding, hand clamping down on her shoulder. ‘You know, whatever you need don’t do it alone,’ he tells her softly, the voice of a man who is proud of his daughter. 

Emma nods. ‘I know, I won’t,’ she replied. ‘I’ll be there soon. I shouldn’t have stayed away so long.’

‘Do you want me to wait?’

She shook her head. ‘No, go ahead. Tell Mom I’m fine.’

\--//--

If anyone has the power to disrupt a moment, it’s Gold. Emma had hushed her parents in the window corner as she made her beeline for Regina. Now, of course, her attempts of delicacy are blown out of the water and Regina is glaring daggers at her, even going as far as calling her ‘Swan’. Never a good sign from her. To make matters worse, behind them Killian is pulled into a hug by her father, then mother while Regina looks on. Although had it been Robin, the reaction would have been the same. Robin was as much a part of their family as Killian is. 

Beside her, Henry’s expression clouds. Emma reaches out to take his hand. It occurs to her that through this, particularly today, she has been far from a good mother. Their eyes meet as he swallows hard. This has been far too much for him. It easy to forget, as he navigates Storybrooke life with such ease, he is still a kid barely into his teenage years. 

‘Henry,’ she says softly, squeezing his hand tightly. 

His gaze is slightly blurred before looking between his mothers. At his expression, Regina softens with a heavy sigh, reaching out to stroke his shoulder before stepping around to put her arm around him. The two women look at each other and Regina nods. 

‘Did you see where the spell was cast from?’ Regina asked Killian as Zelena handed her baby to Granny. 

‘Aye, the clock tower,’ he replied nodding his head in the direction of the town’s centrepiece.

Letting go of Henry, Regina walked to lead the way out of the diner. As she passed Killian, the pair locked eyes. The defiant pirate followed Regina’s gaze. His expression telling Regina that he was not going to apologise for this to her or anyone. Besides, Emma learnt from their conversation once she was able to let him speak that Killian had no idea that moving on would be resurrection and returned to her side.

They all file out of the diner after the Mayor. Emma immediately grabbing Killian’s hand, squeezing tightly. Being thrown into another dilemma isn’t what she, they, need right now. But the nod of acceptance, the glimmer in his eyes, because there is always a crisis and they’ve learnt to live with them. But this is different. After everything, no one wants to be pulled into the next problem. 

The damage to the dome of the clock tower is obvious even in the low lighting of the street lamp lit night. It even gives Regina pause in the street, looking up to the sky with an aghast look on her face.

‘What the hell has he done this time?’ Snow mused looking at the blown out roof. 

\--//--

‘Why didn’t you tell me?’ her father hissed over the desk as the pair of them gathered gear from the Sherriff’s station. 

Somehow, he looked both furious and concerned at the same time. Emma sighed, closing the drawer she was rummaging through then checking they were alone. Killian and Snow were likely to join them at any moment. She owes her father this after outright failing to mention this on the deck of the Jolly.

‘How could I,’ she said, voice wavering ‘I didn’t know how to explain it. We decided we needed to speak to Regina first...’ her words come out like a babbling brook, then she sighs softly, sniffing as a tear escapes her eye. She presses her fingers to the running tear to prevent it snaking down her face.

All trace of annoyance is gone as her father wraps his arms around her. ‘It’s okay,’ he says softly. 

Her hand curls into his jacket as she breaks, fresh sobs rack her body, which only prompts David to hold her much tighter. He rubs her back trying to soothe whatever she is feeling. If he’s honest, it’s probably everything, just because Killian is alive it doesn’t negate the sheer horror she felt at his demise. 

‘I’m okay,’ she says, after a while, letting the emotions seep out of her.

\--//--

He sits on the steps outside of the apartment now everyone is reunited, mulling over what he has achieved; destroyed magic, nearly tore his family in two, brought back magic, reunited his family. Henry sighed as he watched the everyday folk of New York City go about their business. They don’t have a clue what has happened here today. Even those who witnessed it dismissed it as a parlour trick. 

Behind him, the door opens. He actually recognises the footfall pattern, the sound of leather rubbing together with the jangled of zips but he doesn’t look up. Even when Killian sits beside him and stretches his legs out in front of him, Henry doesn’t speak as he keeps his gaze resolutely on the pavement ahead. 

‘Your mother tells me,’ Killian begins, ‘that not only did you actually find a way to banish magic from this realm, you repeatedly stood up to the crocodile.’

Henry glances out the corner of his eye at Killian. He isn’t looking at Henry but at the pavement as well, so Henry looks back at the cracked tile he had focused his gaze on. There is this unspoken agreement between the pair of them that involves not discussing Gold or Henry’s father. 

He nodded his head. ‘I just wanted to stop him hurting everyone all over again.’

The words sound childish in his ears and he feels them grow pink. It gets worse when he glances to the side to see the fearsome Captain Hook looking at him with a great deal of concern. It happens quite a lot actually. In Storybrooke after Cruella kidnapped him. In Camelot as Emma fought the darkness. In the Underworld, as he was exposed to things a boy his age should never see. Killian Jones nearly always has a watchful eye on him. Henry is happy to admit to himself he doesn’t mind.

‘Aye, I can understand that,’ Killian replied, then exhaled heavily. 

‘So you’re not angry at me for nearly trapping you in another realm?’ Henry asked now turning to face him. 

Killian shook his head. It true, there is no anger in his expression, just calm if slight concern as he glances at Henry. He hasn’t said it yet, dashing off to New York on this fool’s errand as soon as he could get out of his mother’s watchful eye, but he’s glad Killian is back. For someone who brings back happy endings to Storybrooke, Emma hasn’t had much luck with it herself. Yet Henry believes, has done for some time, Killian is that happy ending.

‘I’m glad your back,’ he says, turning to look at the pavement. 

‘Aye, lad’ Killian replied turning his gaze back to the street too. ‘So am I.’


End file.
